


Father and Daughter

by i_will_always_find_you



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 19:37:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4847816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_will_always_find_you/pseuds/i_will_always_find_you
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One shot about Aelin, Rowan, and their daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Father and Daughter

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you like it - if so, I’ll write more ToG fics.

Aelin, still drowsy with sleep, reached across the bed to the spot where her  _carranam_  always slept. She groped around aimlessly, eyes still closed. When she still couldn’t find him, she opened her eyes and quickly sat up.  _Not again_ she thought angrily.

Omitting a low growl, she quickly threw on one of Rowan’s t-shirts from the closet in case she ran into any of her courtiers while walking down the long hallway. It was just past twilight and she scolded herself for falling asleep so early. Running a kingdom was  _exhausting._

If Rowan was still awake, she knew his fae ears would hear her as she softly mumbled, “You can’t keep doing this, Rowan Whitethorn.”

Although Aelin could see through the pitch black hallway while in her fae form, she sent a few small fireballs from her hands to light the candles lining the walls. The dark still gave her nightmares sometimes.

She turned the corner to the suite at the end of the hall, knowing she would find him inside. A guard was posted outside of the door and he bowed as she approached. “You let him in?”

The guard looked straight ahead, expressionless.

“You had one job,” she said. “You are posted here specifically  _to stop him from entering this late at night._ ”

The guard, still staring straight ahead, responded, “King Rowan said if I didn’t let him pass, my next breath would be my last.”

She threw her hands up, resigned. “You’re all useless,” she mumbled as she pushed the door open. Fleetfoot was curled at the end of the small bed and he sat up at her approach. “Traitor,” she mumbled to him as she turned her eyes towards the figures lying in the bed.

Rowan was sound asleep, his arms wrapped around their daughter. Her white blonde hair mixed with his and it was hard for her to tell where his ended and hers began. Despite her anger at Rowan for sneaking out to comfort their daughter  _yet again_ , she couldn’t deny that the scene in front of her wasn’t precious. Aelin stared at them for a moment longer, not wanting to disturb them but also knowing Nehemia needed to learn to sleep by herself.

She laid a hand gently on Rowan’s cheek, stroking his tattoo. He stirred, opening his eyes to find Aelin glaring at him. Carefully, so as not to disturb Nehemia, Rowan untangled his arms from around her. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead before standing and following Aelin out of the room.

As a princess, Nehemia had her own suite. Although it was too large for a three year old, she would grow into it eventually. Rowan closed the bedroom door behind him as Aelin made her way across the suite to the balcony in the living room.

She opened the doors, stepping into the cool air. Rowan followed her outside, closing the balcony door behind him so as not to disturb Nehemia. He wrapped the wind around them both, their hair fluttering in the breeze as he came up behind her to envelope her in his arms. Playfully biting her ear, Aelin groaned gently.

“You make it really hard for me to stay mad at you,” she whispered.

“Good. You know it’s really hard for me to not go running to her every time she calls out in her sleep.”

“I know. And I love you all the more for it. But she’s going to have to learn. Eventually.”

“I’m just…”

“Protective.” Aelin finished for him. She spun around to face him, all anger wiped from her face. From the moment Aelin had realized she was carrying their child, Rowan had been protective to the point of insanity. He had constantly followed her around the castle, randomly interrupting meetings to make sure she had eaten and forcing her to go to sleep even when there were millions of things to be done. He was so busy following her around that he neglected his own duties. She knew a part of it had to do with losing Lyria when she had been pregnant with their child, and because of this, Aelin had begrudgingly let him fuss over her.

From the moment Nehemia was born, she had become the center of Rowan’s world. While he loved Aelin with all his soul, he loved Nehemia with all his heart. Her powers hadn’t manifested yet and Rowan felt the need to watch over her incessantly, worried they would suddenly appear and she would harm herself. She not only had Rowan’s fae blood and magic, but also Aelin’s.

Moments after giving birth, after the healers in the room had checked Nehemia’s vital signs, Rowan had deposited the squealing and very pink baby in Aelin’s arms. Rowan climbed into bed next to Aelin, their arms both wrapped around the new born baby, holding her close. “Look at her ears,” Rowan had whispered with such affection and adoration that Aelin turned to face him for a brief second. Aelin ran her finger over the pointed ears, smiling at the fact that their daughter had inherited Rowan’s fae characteristics.

Snapped back to the present, Aelin planted a gentle kiss on Rowan’s lips. “You’re going to have to learn to let her be. Otherwise she’ll never learn how to take care of herself.”

“I’m trying,” he growled gently, pulling Aelin closer to him so their bodies pressed together. “Maybe if we were to have another…”

“Papa?”

Both Aelin and Rowan spun around to find their small daughter standing on the other side of the glass balcony doors holding her stuffed wyvern. Rowan immediately stepped away from Aelin and opened the door, scooping Nehemia up instantly. “I’m here,” he murmured into her hair.

Aelin frowned at him.

Nehemia nuzzled her father’s neck, and before Aelin could scold him, he began, “I spent years, centuries, searching for you. And all that time I spent searching, all that misery and pain I had to endure, it was to prepare me for this. It was preparing me to be the best father I can be. And if that means I’m overprotective, if that means I want to hold her for as long as I possibly can, than so be it. For you are my soulmate, but she is what makes my heart burn. And I’ll protect her at any cost.”

Aelin closed the space between them, planting a kiss first on Nehemia, and then on Rowan.

“Well when you put it that way…” Aelin smiled. They both walked back into Nehemia’s bedroom. “I guess one more bedtime story couldn’t hurt.”


End file.
